The limestone box, or ossuary, features the inscription 'James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus,' written in ancient Aramaic. Because the names correspond to those of Jesus of Nazareth's brother ...

Although written in Greek, the New Testament Gospels of Mark and of Matthew both quote Jesus' pleading last words on the cross as spoken in Aramaic: "Eloi eloi lamma sabachthani," or "My God ...

But few families remained. Maaloula is one of the world’s few places where residents still speak Aramaic, the language that Jesus is believed to have used. The town is also home to Syria’s two ...